Dozens of people gathered on Saturday in the Saint-Michel district of Montreal to demonstrate against armed violence.
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Many people interviewed by TVA Nouvelles during this gathering admit to fearing street gangs and several parents fear that their children will become collateral victims of the many shootings that occur in the metropolis.
“I have children who, last fall, saw a situation like that of gunfire between rival gangs, and so it happens at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, that’s what is the most worrying,” says a participant in the march.
A teacher also said that several parents refused to have their youngsters join the march for fear that street gang members would recognize and target them later.
The group of protesters is calling for concrete action from both levels of government, including better border control to prevent illegal firearms from entering the country.
More activities and supervision for young people are also requested by the participants since, according to them, when teenagers are bored, they may be more tempted to join street gangs.
The demonstrators are also calling for a greater police presence in order to reduce the number of shootings in broad daylight and thus reduce the risk of children being hit by stray bullets.
The Trudeau government is due to table its long-awaited gun control bill on Monday.
